WeTried Translations

Translator: Nemui

Editor: Nemui

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◈ Friedrich's Battlefield

Chapter 172: Their Answer

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"The Arelia royal family has formally requested our aid in responding to the army of Yorgos Caruna, which is believed likely to attack next year, and to the rebel forces of the Caruna region."

November. In a reception room of the royal castle, Claudia told this to Friedrich, who had come in response to her summons.

"...So King Arelia believes it will be difficult to handle alone after all."

Friedrich answered his lord's words with a grave expression.

The Kingdom of Edelstein also had a certain level of contact with the southern Ludia continent through trade and other exchanges, and it gathered information independently. Through that intelligence network, they had learned some time ago that Yorgos Caruna, descendant of the Caruna royal family, intended to return to the western continent leading an army.

If Yorgos's claim that he would land with five thousand soldiers was true, then he would certainly become a grave threat to the Kingdom of Arelia. Friedrich's personal opinion was that as long as Countess Cecilia Fargier was there, he did not think Arelia would simply lose one-sidedly. Even so, it was easy to imagine that it would be extremely difficult for the heavily weakened Arelia royal family to respond alone. A request for aid from the Kingdom of Edelstein, which had recovered its national strength ahead of Arelia, was within expectations.

"Yes, that seems to be the case. And the Edelstein royal family intends to answer this request... If Yorgos becomes a new invader in place of the previous Arelian king, Childebert, he will become an extremely dangerous enemy for our country as well. If we can crush him before he establishes a sphere of influence on this western continent, we want to do so."

Friedrich nodded silently, showing agreement with his lord's opinion.

Yorgos, who had expressed an intention to expand his territory, might become an enemy following Gilbert and Childebert if he not only reclaimed the old territory of the Kingdom of Caruna but also extended his rule into the surrounding regions. Friedrich agreed that the best course would be to cut off Yorgos's ambitions within the Kingdom of Arelia without turning his own territory or borderlands into a battlefield.

"The force we send will be based around the Ferdinand Regiment. Reinforcing troops made up of noble territorial forces and mercenaries will be added, for a total of two thousand. Command will be entrusted to you, Friedrich, as commander of the Ferdinand Regiment."

"By your will. I will devote my whole body and soul to the mission."

Claudia smiled at Friedrich's answer, then soon tightened her expression again.

"It seems the Arelian side will handle Yorgos. As for our role, we are being asked to suppress or contain the various rebel armies that will likely rise throughout the Caruna region. They want us to cooperate by cutting down as many rebel forces as possible or drawing them in, so that the Kingdom of Arelia can devote as much strength as possible to intercepting Yorgos's army."

"Then it will likely not be an especially difficult battle."

The Arelian side would handle the most dangerous opponent, Yorgos, while the reinforcements from the Kingdom of Edelstein would be entrusted with defeating the local rebel armies, which were unlikely to be a major threat in either quality or quantity, one by one, or facing them to pin them down. Considering that Edelstein was only in the position of providing aid, the division of roles was reasonable.

"Yes, for you, a wise general, it will likely not be such a difficult mission... That said, this will also be the first expedition for the Arelian Royal Army in some time. The Arelian side has informed us that they will cooperate fully with supply, and our own transport company will accompany you, but even so, you likely will not be able to receive supplies as you would within the kingdom's territory. You will not be able to fight as usual. Therefore, how you maneuver is of course up to you, but you are also free to decide when to retreat. What we are doing is only aid. You need not push yourself to help maintain order in the territory of the Kingdom of Arelia."

As a premise, this was the Arelia royal family's war. The Kingdom of Edelstein was an outsider. There was no need to see the war through to the end. There was no need to suffer heavy losses for the sake of the Arelia royal family. The royal family did not want to wear down precious forces, beginning with the Ferdinand Regiment. Nor did it want to lose its hero. They would provide what aid they could, but as much as possible, the blood should be shed by the other side. Claudia explained it that way.

"The actual movement will be next year. We will work out the details from here and proceed with preparations for the expedition."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

......

After finishing his meeting with the queen, Friedrich returned to Royal Army Headquarters, completed several pieces of work, and then returned home to the Hosenfeld count's mansion.

"Welcome home, my lord."

"Thank you, Doris."

He handed his cloak to the steward Doris, who had come to greet him, put away his sword and dagger, changed into private clothes, and moved to the living room.

There were his spouse, Yurika, and a baby who had only been born the previous month.

A little under one month had passed since the birth. Yurika was spending her time in the mansion working on voluntary training to recover her strength, and she was scheduled to return to the regiment before winter.

"I'm home, Yurika."

"Welcome back, Friedrich... This child woke up just now. It was like she knew her father was coming home."

Yurika, seated on the sofa, said this and looked lovingly at the child in her arms. Friedrich sat beside her as well and looked down at his daughter with a smile.

"Ha ha, is that so... Did you want to welcome me together with your mother, Cassandra?"

The baby, Cassandra, stared curiously at Friedrich as he spoke to her.

"Her eyes really look smart. As expected of a child who inherited Friedrich's blood."

Seeing their daughter's expression, Yurika said that.

Cassandra's eyes carried the same deep crimson color as Friedrich's. Her hair was black, like Yurika's. In her features, the eyes and outline of her face carried traces of Friedrich, while her nose and lips seemed likely to grow to resemble Yurika. She was truly the fruit of their love.

"When she grows up, I am sure she will move quickly like you, Yurika. After all, she was fast from the moment she was born."

At Friedrich's words, Yurika let out a small laugh. Perhaps that reaction caught her interest, because Cassandra turned her ruby-like eyes toward her mother this time.

Cassandra had been born in the middle of the night in mid-October. According to the experienced midwife called for the birth, "I have never seen a child come out so obediently," and in truth, Cassandra had cried for the first time less than an hour after Yurika went into labor.

Perhaps because she had been physically strong to begin with, Yurika did not seem very exhausted even immediately after giving birth. For a woman, childbirth was a matter of life and death. Matthias's wife, Annemarie, had also lost her life in childbirth. That was why Friedrich had been beside himself, desperately holding back the worry and fear swelling inside him so it would not show on his face. When Cassandra was born far more smoothly than expected, he felt relief from the bottom of his heart.

"...So, why were you summoned to the castle?"

"It was as expected. When the rebellion in the Caruna region and the attack by Yorgos Caruna occur, it seems the Kingdom of Edelstein will send reinforcements to the Kingdom of Arelia. The force will be based around the Ferdinand Regiment, and I will command it. The deployment will likely be next year."

Friedrich said this while looking at Cassandra, then shifted his gaze to Yurika.

"Yurika. You..."

"I know. We already talked about it together."

Yurika answered that way and smiled gently. Friedrich felt a little guilt as he smiled in return.

Yurika was a knight and Friedrich's sword. At the same time, she was now Countess Hosenfeld and Cassandra's mother.

As Count Hosenfeld and his countess, they had to protect their heir until she grew to a certain extent.

And both Friedrich and Yurika had grown up without knowing contact with their parents. That was why they did not want to leave their daughter alone before she could even remember anything. At least until the existence of her parents was etched into her memories, they wanted to protect her.

If they fought, both of them could die. That was the reality of the battlefield. Especially on a mission that involved an expedition to another country, unexpected situations could occur, and the possibility of those situations bringing misfortune was even higher than in peacetime.

If possible, they had wanted peace to continue a while longer, and for the situation to allow both Friedrich and Yurika to fulfill their duties as soldiers without standing on a dangerous front line. They had wanted a situation where they could serve in the army together and still remain safe to some extent.

But if the world would not permit that, they had no choice but to prepare for the worst. That was why they had decided together that if Friedrich ended up leading reinforcements to the Kingdom of Arelia, Yurika would remain at the mansion and protect House Hosenfeld and Cassandra.

"Do not forget, Friedrich. I am together with you wherever you are, and I do what you do together with you. Even if our bodies are apart, our hearts are together. From now on, always."

"...Thank you, Yurika."

The two exchanged smiles, then exchanged a kiss.

Even if the places where their bodies existed were different, the place where their hearts existed, the place where their will existed, was the same. While being that way, they would protect House Hosenfeld, this country, and their beloved child together. As their lips touched, they confirmed the method they had found together for remaining together no matter the situation.

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